Academic Make It Ten Straight In Bulgaria

29.05.2012

DOMESTIC LEAGUES

22-year-old Bulgaria international Bozhidar Avramov was one of the key players in Lukoil Academic's 10th straight succesful league campaign

If Lukoil Academic Sofia have no equals in Bulgarian basketball after winning a 10th consecutive league title over the weekend, beaten finalists Levski Sofia at least showed they themselves to be a much improved team this season.

Academic completed a 3-0 sweep of Levski in the play-off finals.

After rolling to 25 wins in their 28 regular season games, Academic defeated Chernomorets 2-0 in the quarter-finals before brushing aside Cherno More, 3-0, in the last four.

Levski, runners-up in the regular season standings with a 23-5 mark, beat Spartak Pleven 2-0 in their opening play-off series and then downed Tundja, 3-1, in the semi-finals.

In the finals, Academic claimed an 87-80 Game 1 win after getting 24 points from Brandon Heath while in Game 2, Levski lost 80-76, despite a balanced attack led by Aaron Harper's 20 points.

"Levski again showed that they a very strong team and if the hosts had won Game 3, it would not have been undeserved.

"With my team's performances during the year, we proved that we deserve the title.

As for his future with the team, he said: "My contract expires on 31 May and there is nothing to talk about team selection and goals if I haven't sat down with management and do not know whether or not I'm staying."